Beavers taking a toll on this Winnipeg neighbourhood's tree canopy
Some busy beavers have been taking a toll on a Winnipeg neighbourhood's tree canopy, prompting a group of residents to work with the city to save the trees.
You may not see a beaver while walking along the river trail near Churchill Drive, but you will see the evidence that the tree-gnawing rodent has been at work.
"They have taken a significant number of trees down and they have taken large ones down," said Pam Lawrence, the treasurer of Trees Riverview, a community group working to protect public trees.
Trees Riverview is partnering with the city this month to save the trees in the area from the beavers' buck teeth.
"I think that a lot of Riverview residents have been calling in and have been quite concerned about the beaver damage," Lawrence said. "We're in such a trade deficit in our city anyway – it seems like why not protect any tree that we possibly can in public areas?"
Ken Allen, a communications coordinator with the City's Public Works Department, told CTV News the city is planning to work with the volunteers to wrap trees along Churchill Drive with sturdy wire such as hardware cloth or stucco wire.
"Tree wrapping prevents beavers from being able to access and chew on the trunk of the tree," Allen said in an email.
He said not all neighbourhoods require tree wrapping, as the number of trees wrapped each year depends on beaver activity, potential damage, and volunteer engagement "Wrapping is done in areas where beaver damage to trees can be limited through wrapping activity and often areas where volunteers are actively involved."
Tree wrapping, the Winnipeg Humane Society says, is a good way to deal with beavers and is highly encouraged.
"It's a great initiative to see the City of Winnipeg and community members come together to try and do what they can to prevent certain properties and trees from being damaged by beavers," said Brittany Semeniuk, an animal welfare specialist with the humane society.
She said the Winnipeg Humane Society has helped wrap trees in the past, as it is a humane alternative to culls or traps – methods of control the WHS has previously spoken out against.
"There really isn't a lot of harm done by doing these wrapping procedures. The beavers will either move to an area where they have more access to trees, or they will just move into a forested area to get access to trees."
Lawrence said Trees Riverview is planning to hold a tree wrapping event with the City of Winnipeg on May 28, depending on the weather. The city said wrapping a tree requires a full width of wire of 48” to be used as the height. The wire, which should not be chicken wire, must be wrapped loosely around the tree to prevent strangling the tree.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.